Comprehensive Maintenance, Inspection for Single-Ply Roofing

The use of highly reflective single-ply roof membranes has been growing in popularity for commercial and institutional applications since the early 1990s. This growth arises from an increased focus in facilities on energy efficiency, sustainability, ease of installation, and cost.

Many of these roof systems are performing well, but based on an evaluation of more than 520 million square feet of buildings in the last 10 years, many building owners have spent millions of dollars replacing single-ply roofs that, unfortunately, have failed prematurely.

The first question that normally comes up after inspecting a roof that has failed prematurely is, "What caused this roof to fail?" In general, five common factors result in a roof failing prematurely: improper design, improper construction, defective materials, abuse, and lack of maintenance.

In many cases, combinations of these factors contribute to roof failure. But the overwhelming driver behind premature roof failure is the lack of maintenance. By understanding the drivers behind the lack of roof maintenance, managers can identify activities that will maximize the performance of single-ply roof systems.